Sugar as commodity in its own right can be traced back several thousand years in china and India.A definite reference dates to 510 B.C.when soldiers of the Persian Emperor Darius saw sugarcane growing on the banks of hte River ndus.They called it the reeds which produce honey without bees.much later it was grown in Persia and the Arabs took it to Egypt. The word sugar is itself derived from an Arabic word.

Sugarcane, to which all the earliest refereances refer,is a member of the grass family.It Can grow up to 15 feet tall,with leaves at the top and a hollow stalk filled with a sweet juice or sap from which sugar can be extracted.A perennial tropical plant, it grows best in very warm climates.It is ready for arvesting after 10 to 20 months.

Alexander the Great(356-232 B.C.)introducted sugar to the Mediterranean Countries,from whence it spread down the East Coast of Africa.